


two in a room without a door

by daielight



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 09:46:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3115508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daielight/pseuds/daielight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lydia meets Allison on a bus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	two in a room without a door

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at some point last year, forgot about it, and found it again recently.  
> Thanks to [dansunedisco](http://archiveofourown.org/users/dansunedisco/) for the beta! It was much needed, and the only reason this saw the light of day.

Lydia’s alarm goes off at 5:15.

She rolls over, and hits the snooze button with enough force to make the nightstand quiver. When the sound has dissipated, Lydia rolls back over and closes her eyes.

At 5:45 her door opens, revealing Stiles Stilinski with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.

“Lyd?” His voice is muffled, and he flicks on the light. “It’s almost 6.”

Lydia groans and sits up, blinking rapidly in the brightness. “Thanks,” she says, rotating and letting her toes touch the cool wood floor below.

Stiles nods his response, then disappears into the hallway.

A timer dings from downstairs, and Lydia stands up, pulling open her closet and gathering together a suitable outfit for her first day of second semester. She chooses a skirt, leggings and a blouse. Not too exciting, not too bland. From a basket on one of the shelves Lydia picks out a flower-print bra and matching panties, placing the two items atop her pile of clothing and making her way down the stairs towards the bathroom.

The house is an older model, tall and narrow, sandwiched between a series of other houses. The external walls are bright blue with white and yellow trim, then inside a combination of dark wood flooring and large windows. There were two bedrooms and a loft-like floor at the top of the house, one bathroom on the main floor, and a small basement that contained a washer, a dryer and a collection of boxes.

Stiles and Lydia had first looked at the house at the start of second year, but hadn’t been able to afford it on their own. Then Stiles had met Scott McCall, and their friendship had taken off. Second semester, the three of them pooled their resources and signed the lease.

It had taken a little getting used to, the three of them sharing one small house. Scott and Stiles had settled on the two bedrooms on the main floor, choosing to let Lydia take the larger loft room on the top floor. The only downfall of this arrangement came from the lack of a door. The privacy was granted from the stairs, and a solid wall dividing the room from the rest of the house. A few weeks into the living arrangement and Stiles had purchased and installed a shower rod and set of curtains at the top of the stairs with the help of Scott.

That evening when Lydia had gotten home she’d pulled the curtains shut, stripped, and lay on her bed in her underwear for a few hours. When Stiles called for dinner, she’d pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top and made her way downstairs into the kitchen. After the first few months, Lydia had only closed the curtain when she really needed privacy, leaving it open most nights to allow for her to hear the goings on in the mornings.

Now, Lydia makes her way down the stairs, one hand running along the railing and one clutching the stack of clothing to her chest. She passes the door that leads into their tiny backyard, and continues towards the bathroom.

At the door Lydia pauses, then knocks twice.

“Just a sec!” It’s Scott’s voice, and Lydia sighs. She can hear the water running, so makes her way towards the kitchen, dropping her pile of clothing on the stairs as she passes them.

The main floor is relatively open, with Scott and Stiles’ rooms closer to the front door and the bathroom and stairs to the loft at the back of the house. The basement access divides the living room and the kitchen with a thick block of wall, the door swinging out into the entrance way. The kitchen is relatively large, and allows for a large kitchen table to be pressed into the corner against the large windows. The living room is just large enough for a small sofa and an arm chair, both angled towards the large TV Scott had brought home from his trip home last summer.

Lydia makes note of the piles of games and DVDs in front of the TV as she moves through the living room. She follows the far wall to the kitchen, picking up her sweater off the couch as she passes. The kitchen is bright when she enters, the lights above all on and the blinds wide open. She glances outside at the grey blue of the waking sky before her gaze is drawn to Stiles.

He’s leaning against the counter, absently stirring a pot of oatmeal with one hand, the other typing out a message on his phone. A few seconds later the phone beeps, and a lopsided grin forms on his face. Lydia smiles, pushing her hair off her face and pulling open the fridge. Stiles starts and Lydia wiggles her eyebrows at him. “Who you talkin’ to Stilinski?”

Stiles pulls a face at her and slips his phone into his back pocket. “Nobody. Wants some oatmeal?”

Lydia nods, pulling out an apple and a jug of orange juice. She pushes down her curiosity and grabs two cups from the cabinet, holding the other one up towards Stiles. He nods and Lydia fills the cups with juice.

“There’s coffee in the pot,” Stiles says, gesturing at the coffee maker that had been Lydia’s contribution to the fancier household items. “Scott put it on when he woke up.”

Lydia nods and fills a mug, then begins transporting the now-full mugs and cups to the kitchen table. Stiles follows her, carrying two bowls of oatmeal. He leave some for Scott, an empty bowl sitting beside the stove.

They eat quietly, Lydia checking the clock every few minutes. When she’s finished she puts the empty bowl in the sink and finishes her orange juice.

Scott rounds the corner then, shirtless and drying his still wet hair. “Bathroom’s all yours,” he says to Lydia before filling his bowl with oatmeal.

“Thanks,” Lydia replies, taking another sip of her coffee before making her way back to the bathroom. She goes past the front door this time, hanging up the sweater she’d grabbed off the couch.

The bathroom is a light blueish purple colour, a large claw footed bathtub taking up the left portion of the room. Lydia grabs her towel from the back of the door and sets it on the counter, then begins to undress.

The water reaches only a temperature that could only loosely be described as hot, and Lydia scrubs quickly, hoping to finish before the tank runs out. Which is the main reason that Lydia always set her alarm so early, to be able to get the shower first and enjoy the hottest water.

When the temperature drops too close to lukewarm, Lydia shuts the water off and extracts herself from the shower. She dries off, wraps her hair and grabs her toothbrush. Once her teeth are sufficiently clean, Lydia grabs the hair drier and unwraps her hair.

By 6:45 Lydia is dressed and dry, make-up on and hair organized into a loose braid. Her backpack is organized with a binder, set of pens and notebook, and sitting on one of the kitchen chairs while Lydia organizes a lunch for herself. Stiles has returned to his room, and Scott is sitting at the kitchen table, scrolling through something on his phone as he eats.

“What do you have today?” asks Lydia as she chops some vegetables, placing the pieces into a small container.

“Some Lit courses and a Psychology course,” Scott responds, looking up from his phone and smiling at Lydia. “You?”

“Everything.” Lydia sighs, thinking about her 8:30-6:30 day.

Scott chuckles, putting down his phone and taking a bite of his food. “At least they’re all courses you want to take.”

Lydia nods her response. “I did sign up for them all.” She returns the vegetables to the fridge and pulls out a container of mashed potatoes and ham, leftovers from Saturday night’s dinner, then scoops some into another container. Once satisfied with the contents, Lydia fills a water bottle and slips a fork into the bag. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“Yep! Stiles said he’s going to be out tonight, but I’ll be here.”

“Alright.” Lydia shoves her lunch bag into her backpack, then moves towards the front door, pulling her long green jacket over her dress and swinging her backpack onto her shoulder. She leans down to pull on a pair of ankle boots. “See ya!”

Scott waves and Lydia lets herself out the front door.

The bus stop is a five minute walk from their house, and Lydia is there in no time. She settles onto the bench, and checks the clock on her phone, large numbers glowing 7:25 back at her face. The sky is still more grey than blue, and Lydia hopes that any rain will hold off until after she’s made it to her first class.

The air is cold, and Lydia watches as the air she exhales spins in billowing clouds from her lips. She shivers involuntarily and zips her phone into her jacket pocket before pulling her hands as far back into her sleeves as possible.

The traffic is starting to pick up, and she watches as the different kinds of vehicles move past. She sees a small yellow sports car, a few minutes later a dilapidated pickup truck.

A few people walk past. A young woman and a large dog, a middle aged man and a stroller. An elderly couple out for a walk. Small trees line the space between side walk and road, and the dog pauses at a tree a few feet away to relieve its bladder.

The phone in Lydia’s pocket vibrates, but she ignores it.

A bus rounds the corner and Lydia gathers her things, glancing at the display just in case. The words match her destination, and she fishes her bus pass out of her pocket, standing up and shifting the weight of her bag. A few people have gathered near the station, and she leads them onboard.

Lydia takes a seat near the middle of the bus, moving her backpack onto her lap and pulls out one of the textbooks she’d brought for the day, just in case, then rests her head on the top of the bag.

The bus rumbles into action, lurching forward with a jerk. Something lands with a soft _chink_ on the floor, and someone nearby lets out a frustrated grunt. Lydia continues to read, blowing air at stray strands of hair.

“Is that seat free?”

Lydia glances up, blinking away outlines of text and diagrams.

A young woman stands over her, dark hair pulled into a bun and a cautious smile expanding to her eyes.

Lydia pauses, caught slightly off guard. Something looks strangely familiar about the brunette’s face. “… Sure.”

The young woman smiles and settles in beside Lydia, moving her shoulder bag onto her lap before turning to offer up a hand. “I’m Allison. I think we’ve met before?”

Lydia grips Allison’s outstretched hand briefly, frowning slightly as she tries to place the other girl.

“You live with Scott right?” Allison supplies when Lydia takes back her hand.

“Yes! You came over a few times last year?”

Allison nods, blushing slightly. “Yeah. He was helping me out with some of my homework.”

Lydia nods, smiling. She usually kept to her room when one of the boys had someone over, so she didn’t really get a chance to meet many of them. Though now that she thought about it, Lydia remembers seeing Allison a few times, sitting beside Scott at the kitchen table, hunched over textbooks.

“So you live around here?” Lydia asks, shifting so that she has a better view of Allison’s face.

“Yeah, just a few blocks from the bus stop. Which is one of the reasons Scott was helping me out. We live so close.”

Lydia nods again. “Did you have any classes with him this year?”

“Not that I know of. We didn’t really keep in touch, you know? But maybe this semester! How about you? Do you have any classes with Scott?”

Lydia shakes her head. “No, I’m focusing more on math and science. But I’m taking a Literature course this semester for fun.”

“Neat,” Allison replies. “Which one?”

“Something about mythology? It looked really neat.”

“Oh hey, me too! I think? With Professor Hale? Tuesday nights?”

“Yes! And Scott’s going to be in there too I think. At least last time I talked to him about his schedule that was his plan.”

Allison nods and smiles, then relaxes back into the seat.

“It’ll be fun.”

*              *              *

 

By the time Lydia gets off the bus that night she’s exhausted. Scott picks her up from the bus station in Stile’s jeep, and Lydia gladly climbs into the passenger seat.

“So, change of plans,” Scott says, putting on the blinker and moving back onto the road. “We’re going out for dinner. Meeting Boyd and Erica at the restaurant.”

“Did you forget to start something for dinner?”

“No,” Scott scoffs, then, “Maybe.”

Lydia laughs.

“I was hungry! I thought you would be too. And it’ll be nice to see everyone again.”

“It will,” Lydia says, adjusting her bag at her feet. “Speaking of which, I saw Allison on the bus today.”

“Allison…?”

“Argent? I think? You helped her out with her homework last year?”

“Ok, yeah. Allison.” Scott slows for a yellow light and pulls to a stop. “How’s she doing?”

“Good I think? She said she was going to be in that Lit class we’re in. The one about mythology.”

“Neat.” The light turns green and Scott presses down on gas. “She’s fun to work with.”

They drive in silence for a while, then Scott asks Lydia how her classes went. The restaurant is downtown, and Scott parallel parks the jeep a few spaces away from the front door. Lydia can see Erica’s car at the end of the block. Lydia extracts her purse, then puts her backpack in the backseat and covers it with a blanket. Scott hops out first and plugs the meter, watching Lydia slide out of the front seat and lock the door. The rain, which the sky had been threatening all day, had begun its descent while they were driving, and Lydia pulls her hood up as they walk to the front doors.

Scott pulls the door open, and holds it for Lydia to move in past him. She flips down her hood and rubs her hands together, flashing Scott a smile and moving forward to allow Scott past her. From a booth near the back someone waves, and Lydia sees the long blonde hair that belongs to Erica Reyes.

“There,” Lydia says, then pokes Scott and leads the way to the table.

“Hello!” Erica is friendly, sliding off of the bench in order to properly greet Lydia and Scott with hugs.

Lydia smiles at Erica, returning the hug. “How’ve you been?”

“Good!” Erica replies, moving on to Scott. “You?”

“Good.”

Lydia slides into the far seat of the booth, lifting a hand in greeting to Boyd, who mirrors her action with a grin. Scott slides in after her, leaning forward to clap Boyd on the shoulder.

“So how was the Christmas Holiday?” asks Scott, smiling at Boyd.

The conversation carries on, and a young man comes by to drop off some waters, telling them that their server will be with them within the next few minutes. Lydia ducks out of the conversation briefly to scan the menu, and choses her favourite burger.

“Hello, are you ready to order?”

Lydia glances up, surprised. Allison stands at the edge of their table, notebook in hand, smile on face.

“Hey!” Scott’s noticed too now, turning to grin at the brunette.

Allison’s smile widens, and she waves with her pen-holding hand. “How are you?”

“Good!” Scott’s excited now. “You?”

“Good.” Allison notices Lydia now, and her smile maxes out. “Hi!”

Lydia asks Allison a few things, how here classes went, how long she’s working. Scott adds something in here and there, and Boyd and Erica just ride the wave.

“So, what is everyone having?” Allison finally asks, and the four of them put in their orders. Scott orders his usual pizza, Erica a bowl of chili, Boyd a cheese burger. Lydia orders last, and hands Lydia her menu.

“She’s cute.”

It’s Erica. It’s always Erica.

Lydia blushes slightly and leans back into her seat. She’s still not quite used to _talking_ about her attraction to women. Even though, for the most part, she was comfortable with being attracted to women. High school had been boys galore, then university had hit and she’d met Cora Hale, and everything had fallen into place.

“She is,” Lydia responds, grinning.

Scott turns to look at her, a grin overtaking the mild surprise that had been present a moment before. “Go for it.”

Lydia scoffs and flips her braid over her shoulder, making a point of avoiding eye contact for a moment.

Boyd chuckles, sipping his water before chiming in. “She seems to like you.”

Lydia glances at him. “Yeah?”

“She does,” Erica adds, smiling.

“Well then,” Lydia starts. “I guess I won’t have to bring out the big guns.”

“Just the medium ones?” It’s Scott this time, chuckling under his breath.

“No overkill,” Lydia agrees.

Their conversation turns then towards other topics, carrying them through until Allison arrives with their food.

“Enjoy!” Allison’s voice is bright, and smiles brightly before moving away from the table again. Lydia watches her leave, Allison’s ponytail swinging forward as she stops at another table to clear the plates.

Conversations continue as they eat. Boyd talks about his classes, and Erica talks about work. Lydia lets herself fade in and out of the conversations, watching for Allison to reappear. Eventually, their meal is finished, and Allison returns to divide up the cheque. They pay, and get up, shuffling around and putting coats back on. Lydia slides out last, waving a quick goodbye to Allison before following Scott towards the front of the restaurant.

Outside the rain is coming down in sheets, and Lydia isn’t the only one to pull her hood over her head.

“See you soon!” Erica chirps, bringing Lydia and Scott in for a brief hug before following Boyd out the door.

Scott leads the way to the jeep, and Lydia is glad when the door opens to let her inside.

Once inside, Lydia checks her phone. There’s a missed call and a series of text messages from Stiles. She unlocks her phone and starts reading.

_hey coming home early_

Then

_where’s my jeep?_

Later

_where are you guys? did you run away with my car???_

Lydia snorts, then texts back: _went out for dinner with Scott, Erica and Boyd. be home soon!_

“You didn’t bother telling Stiles we were going out?”

“Shoooooot.” Scott taps the steering wheel. “Is he freaking out about the jeep?”

“A little.”

Scott nods. “I thought he was going to be out late. I think he’s met someone.”

“He has been rather absent minded lately,” Lydia agrees.

Scott stops at a red light. “Has he said anything to you?”

Lydia shakes her head. “You?”

“Nope.”

When they get home Stiles is playing video games in his boxers.

“Did you guys have fun without me?” He asks, pausing his game and turning to watch Lydia and Scott remove their shoes.

“It was terrible,” says Scott, hanging up his coat. “We were lost without you.”

Lydia nods in her agreement. “Terrible.”

Stiles laughs. “Did you say ‘hi’ to Erica and Boyd for me?”

“Yeah,” Scott replies, moving into the living room.

Lydia follows behind him, dropping her bag off beside the TV. “How was your night?”

“Good,” Stiles replies, smiling. “But now I’m exhausted.” He gets up and turns off the TV. “Goodnight you two!”

“’Night!” Lydia calls after him, then turns to Scott to wiggle her eyebrows. “He definitely has something going on.”

Scott laughs. “But I think he’s right about the bed thing. I’m exhausted.”

Lydia nods. “Goodnight then.”

Scott stretches and yawns, then makes her way towards his bedroom. “’Night Lyd.”

Lydia smiles, then makes her way towards the bathroom.

 

*              *              *

 

Tuesday night, four weeks into the semester, and Lydia is rushing between buildings, loose curls bouncing around her shoulders. Rain is coming down again in sheets, and Lydia’s hood is pulled up over her head in an effort to stop her from getting too soaked. The path is lit by large streetlights, and other students move around her. When she finally reaches the building’s door, Lydia pulls it open with a sigh of relief, stepping inside and flicking off her hood.

The lights are bright, and flicker in the way that middle-upkeep florescent lights tend to do. Lydia shakes her head and runs her fingers through her hair, moving forward and through a second set of doors. The classroom is on the third floor of the building, and Lydia finds a staircase and makes her way upstairs.

When she rounds the corner on the third floor, Lydia spots Allison standing at a vending machine, staring at the choices visible through the glass pane. “Hey!” Lydia calls, and Allison turns towards her.

“Hi Lydia,” Allison replies, smiling. She glances back at the machine and presses a button, causing something to drop into the dispenser tray. “How are you?”

“Damp,” says Lydia, grimacing.

Allison bends down to retrieve a bag of candy, then surveys Lydia. “The rain still hasn’t cleared up then?”

Lydia shakes her head. “Unfortunately not.”

“Hopefully a lecture on the mythical creatures will cheer you up,” Allison says, punching Lydia lightly on the shoulder. Lydia’s face breaks into a smile and she flicks her hair over her shoulder.

“Hopefully,” Lydia agrees, falling into step beside the brunette as they make their way towards the classroom. Inside Scott has secured their usual seats, and Lydia strips off her wet jacket and hangs it over the back of her chair.

“Still raining?” Scott asks, moving his textbook over to allow space for Lydia to put down her binder.

Lydia glares at him and nods.

“Lucky Stiles is picking us up tonight then,” Scott continues, smiling at Allison as she drops into the seat beside Lydia.

“Definitely,” Lydia responds.

Allison flips open her notebook to an open page and organizes her pens, then turns to Lydia and Scott.

“I’m sure Stiles could drop you off too if you wanted?” Lydia offers, turning her attention to Allison. “You live nearby us right?”

“That’d be great,” Allison replies, grinning. Lydia smiles back, and the three of them descend into easy conversation.

They had established their spot in the room the first week: three seats near the middle of the room. Lydia usually sat in the middle, Scott on her right, Allison on her left. It was a good class so far, and beyond the excessive amounts of reading they were already being assigned, Lydia really liked it.

Lydia also really liked sitting beside Allison. Listening to the other girl’s voice, reading notes scrawled to her during the lectures. Any and all contact with Allison Argent was positive in Lydia’s eyes. They took the same bus Mondays and Fridays, and Lydia always made sure to save Allison a seat if she was the first onboard, and act that Allison reciprocated. It was nice, to be spending time with another girl again. Not that Erica didn’t count, but rather that Erica had come with Scott. A package deal in a sense.

With Allison, Lydia was blazing forth on a new path all herself.

Also, Allison was a little bit more Lydia’s type than Erica. And Lydia was about ready to build something with another person again. After her last relationship had ended, Lydia had needed some time to figure herself out again. She’d spent two years with Cora. They’d met in first year, struggled through classes and friendships and loneliness. Lydia had had Stiles then too, but Cora had given Lydia something else. Something extra.

Cora had also given Lydia the knowledge that she was attracted to women. Which was a very important piece of information. But after the first little while they’d drifted apart. Lydia had gone home for the summer and when she’d gotten back they’d stopped clicking the way they used to. The relationship became an uphill battle, all strong wills and passive aggressive dinners. Cora had ended it around the time Stiles, Scott and Lydia had begun renting the house.

Which had been nice, because Lydia had been able to push Cora out of her mind for the most part. That is, until she’d connected the dots on the professor of her current class.

Derek Hale was Cora’s older brother, and Lydia had met him a few times when she was dating Cora. Once or twice he would let himself be roped into driving Cora and Lydia somewhere for the evening, if neither of the girls could get access to a vehicle for a night. Derek was stoic, tough and intense. But he loved his sister, and was kind to Lydia for the most part.

Now, Derek strides into the room a few minutes late, placing his briefcase on the desk and smiling out at the crowd. “Good evening,” he begins, always formal at the start of the class. Sometimes he carries it through to the end, but most days the room dissolves into something more chaotic than formal, with discussions giving rise to ideas and opinions that would not have come to light without some of the tension in the reins released.

Beside her, Allison bumps Lydia’s shoulder lightly, wiggling a piece of paper on the desk once she has the redhead’s attention.

_Want to go out for drinks Friday night?_

Lydia smiles and moves her pen over the paper. Allison is watching her intently now, and Lydia glances up, brown eyes meeting her own.

“Yesss,” Lydia says under her breath, scrawling a happy face on the paper. Beside her, Scott leans forward glancing over at them briefly before re-focusing his attention on the front of the room.

Allison grins at her, bumping their elbows lightly before re-focusing her attention on the front of the room. Lydia lets her gaze linger for a few moments, tracing the outline of Allison’s nose with her eyes, then shifts in her seat, making herself comfortable.

The lecture goes by quickly, as usual. Soon, the three of them are packing up their bags. Allison yawns and stretches her arms up over her head, her t-shirt riding up and exposing a sliver of skin. Lydia lets her eyes linger for a moment, then looks back to Allison’s face.

“Thanks for offering the ride,” Allison says, relaxing her arms back down and smiling at Lydia.

“No problem,” Lydia replies, zipping up her backpack and swinging it onto her shoulder. “Let’s go meet Stiles.”

Scott leads the way out of the room, phone in hand as he sends Stiles a text that they just got out. His phone buzzes a few seconds later, and he scans the message before returning it to his pocket. “He’s waiting just inside the front doors,” Scott reports, making his way towards the stairs.

Allison falls into step beside Lydia, and they walk down the stairs together.

“Where did you want to go Friday?” Lydia asks, slowing to allow some space to form between them and Scott.

“Wherever is good. There’s a band playing at the campus bar I think, if you’re interested in that?”

“Sure,” Lydia agrees, smiling. Allison grins back at her.

Once on the main level Scott leads them to the right, and soon Stiles is within their view, leaning against the wall beside the large glass doors.

Scott calls a greeting, and Stiles glances up at them before pushing off the wall.

“Hey,” Stiles says, moving forward to meet them. “Ready to get home?”

“I offered Allison a ride. She lives nearby,” Lydia says, gesturing towards Allison.

“Sure,” Stiles replies, smiling at Allison. “How was class?”

They pause for a moment, chatting in the light of the hallway before moving into the rain. People move around them, most exiting the building, pulling hoods over heads and umbrellas out of bags.

“Stiles?”

The voice comes from somewhere near the stairs. Stiles freezes, and Lydia turns to locate the source of the sound.

Their professor stands near the base of the stairs, a smile overtaking his usual expression.

“Hey Derek.”

Lydia glances back at Stiles, registering the slight colour rising on his cheeks.

 

*              *              *

 

Allison picks Lydia up Friday night in little blue car that looks like its seen better days.

It’s stopped raining, finally, and Lydia takes the opportunity to wear something other than her green trench coat. Not that she doesn’t love it. Just…

“You look gorgeous,” says Allison, leaning against the passenger door of the car.

“You too,” Lydia returns, smoothing the hem of her skirt before moving towards the car. “I like the jacket.”

“Thanks,” Allison responds, twisting her shoulder to show it off. The dark leather looks slightly worn, as if this was not the first time the jacket had seen the outside world. Lydia brushes her hand against Lydia’s shoulder.

“Lovely.”

Allison lets out a soft laugh. “Let’s get going.”

Lydia nods her approval, letting Allison pull open the door for her. The car is still running, and the inside is warm. Music from a radio station plays quietly, and Lydia watches as Allison moves around the front of the car. She’s wearing jeans, the knees worn slightly, matching the look of the jacket.

Allison slips into the driver’s seat and flips her behind her shoulder, pressing down the clutch and moving the gearshift into first. The car moves smoothly, and after a few moments they’re settled into easy conversation.

The band doesn’t start until 8, so when they enter the bar at 7:15 it’s relatively calm. Allison leads the way to a booth near the stage, setting her purse on the far end of the bench before sliding in. Lydia follows suit, taking off the sweater she’d been wearing and placing it overtop her bag.

“So how are your other courses going? Busy yet?” Allison asks, shrugging out of her jacket and placing it beside her. She’s wearing a bright yellow t-shirt with little white polka dots. It’s loose around her body, and Lydia finds herself wishing that it hugged a little closer to Allison’s curves.

“Very busy,” Lydia responds, leaning back into the seat and adjusting her skirt over her thighs. “And that essay for the mythology class is coming up quick.”

Allison grimaces. “Yeah. Do you have a topic picked out yet?”

“Hoping to do something about banshees. You?”

Allison shakes her head. “Whatever speaks to me.” She smiles and Lydia laughs.

“I see you’re taking the super involved approach,” Lydia teases.

“Best approach possible,” Allison replies. “Did you want anything to drink? I could go grab us something.”

“That’d be great.”

“What would you like?”

Lydia watches Allison make her way to the table, then digs in her pocket to retrieve her cellphone.

There’s a message from Scott which reads: _how’s the date?_ Then one from Stiles that offers an early curfew for the current occupants of the house were Lydia to be bringing Allison inside at the end of the night. Lydia ignores both of them and tucks her phone into her purse.

“So what’s with Stiles and Professor Hale?” Allison asks as she slides back into the booth, pushing a deep purple drink towards Lydia and taking a swig out of her own.

“I’m pretty sure they’ve been seeing each other for the past few months,” Lydia offers, stirring her drink before taking a sip. It’s sweet, and she takes another. “Scott and I were away for the Christmas holidays, and I think that’s when they started getting serious.”

Allison nods. “And he was keeping it all a secret because…?”

Lydia shrugs. “Maybe in part because Derek’s a professor?” She leaves out the main reason. The one where Lydia used to date Derek’s younger sister. When they’d finally gotten home the night Derek had exposed Stile’s secret, Lydia and Scott had drilled him as to why Stiles had kept the whole thing a secret. His main response had been that he hadn’t wanted to bring the Hales back up around Lydia. Which, considering the shaky few months after the breakup, was a nice sentiment. Now, however, Lydia was ready to move on.

“Understandable,” Allison agrees, taking another sip of her drink. Grapefruit juice, Lydia thinks.

“So do you have any roommates who date professors behind your back?” Lydia asks.

Allison snorts. “Nope, I’m actually living with my aunt right now.”

“How’s that?”

“Cheaper than renting.”

Lydia laughs. “I bet. Stiles and I almost didn’t get the house we’re in now because we couldn’t afford it alone. Luckily Stiles met Scott, and the three of us pooled our money to get it.”

“It’s a great house. From what I’ve seen anyways.”

“It’s great. And we’ve got a little back yard, which is nice. Scott wants to have a party or something in the spring, I think.”

Their conversation continues easily until the band starts, and after a few minutes of increased volume they turn their attention to the stage. The music is upbeat, and a group of people have already formed a dance space, moving with the beat.

“Wanna dance?” It’s Lydia who initiates this time, and Allison nods immediately, following Lydia into the mass of people.

Allison leaves Lydia space at first, the two of them bouncing to the beat. It’s fun and easy, and Lydia can feel the smile on her own face, mimicking that of Allison’s. Someone bumps into Lydia and she moves forward, bumping Allison before regaining her balance. Allison reaches out to steady her, hand resting on Lydia’s shoulder. They stay like that for a moment, then Lydia steps forward, close.

They’re still in the belly of the beast, movement pressing in on them from every side. Lydia traces a hand up Allison’s arm, stopping at the base of her neck. Allison twitches, curving her neck sideways, then lifts her own hand to take hold of Lydia’s. They’re still for a moment longer, focused completely on one another, then the bass presses into them and they’re moving again.

By the time they return to the car they’ve moved into the hot and sweaty cliché. Allison is completely sober and ready to drive, eyes alert and happy. Lydia is slightly tipsy, letting herself press into Allison’s side.

The drive seems quick, the radio humming quietly against the sound of the engine. Conversations twist in and out of existence, and Lydia finds her eyes flicking to Allison’s face repeatedly, taking in the curves and lines.

Allison pulls into the driveway and put the car in park, turning to face Lydia. “I had fun tonight.”

Lydia smiles. “Me too.”

“We should so something again sometime.”

“Definitely.”

Lydia pauses for a moment, then leans across the emergency break. Allison is close, close enough for Lydia to see a speckling of mascara under her right eye. Then Allison closes the gap.

It’s warm and soft. And quick.

Lydia pulls away and smiles, Allison’s eyes focusing on her from under half-lidded eyes. The car seems warm and cramped, and Lydia finds the door handle, moving to get out. She grabs her bag, then leans into the car once more.

“Want to come inside?”

“Yes.”

The house is quiet when Lydia unlocks the door, and she flicks on a light before kicking off her shoes and discarding her coat. Allison mimics her actions, following the redhead as she makes her way past the living room and towards the stairs. Both Scott and Stiles’ doors are closed as they move past, Allison’s hand grasped loosely in Lydia’s.

At the base of the stairs Lydia tugs Allison’s hand, pulling the other girl into her.

“Kiss me.”

Allison obliges, pressing her mouth into Lydia’s with precision and tangling her free hand in Lydia’s hair. They move back, Allison pressing Lydia into the wall, and everything is hot and blurred. Lydia’s hands move down, tracing the down Allison’s sides and resting on her hips.

“Upstairs.”

They move quickly, awkwardly. Something heavy curls in the pit of Lydia’s stomach. Lydia stumbles on the top step, scrambling wildly before landing with a soft thud on her butt. Allison kneels over her, closing the gap for another kiss.

They fumble backwards, moving until the side of the bed collides with Lydia’s shoulder. She curses, and Allison giggles, brushing her knuckles over the collision site. Lydia shivers and blinks slowly, leaning into the touch.

They pause momentarily, the darkness of the room making it difficult for Lydia to make out Allison’s expression. She moves up, pressing into Allison’s body and fiddling with the lamp on the bedside table. A sharp tug on the chain and a warm light illuminates the room, falling on the back of Allison’s head and casting her face in shadow.

Then the calm slips and Lydia moves forward again, fumbling with Allison’s jacket and discarding the clothing on the ground beside them. Allison’s fingers trace shapes along the outside of Lydia’s thigh, and Lydia momentarily loses her train of thought.

The kisses grow deeper, longer. Breathing heavy and irregular. Lydia’s focus keeps returning to her thigh, where Allison continues to trace patterns against bare skin. She pulls back, exhales deeply, eyes fluttering shut, then traces her own hands up Allison’s sides, pulling the bright shirt up and over her head. Allison’s hand leaves Lydia’s thigh, following the motion of the shirt and raising her arms to allow for the removal of the shirt. Her hair is tousled in the process, and she reaches up to brush it back down, motion slowed as her eyes meet Lydia’s.

“Hey.” Her voice is rough, quiet.

Lydia leans forward again, hinging slightly at the knees for more leverage. “Hey,” she whispers, before closing the gap and placing a soft kiss on the corner of Allison’s mouth.

Allison’s hand returns to Lydia’s thigh, slipping beneath Lydia’s skirt. Her thumb moves back and forth along Lydia’s inner thigh, hand fixed in place. Her other hand finds grip in Lydia’s hair, fingers tangling in as Lydia trails kisses across Allison’s jaw and down her throat, eliciting a moan.

“Oh.” It’s Lydia this time, pausing at the pressure of Allison’s fingertips moving closer to her center.

Allison freezes, eyes focused on Lydia’s face. “Sorry, I-”

“Don’t stop.” And Lydia’s mouth is back on Allison’s throat, her hands tracing under Allison’s thighs before hitching the weight up and towards her, Allison’s arm slipping out to slow the motion until she’s hovering above Lydia, one hand still tangled in red hair.

The moment seems suspended, and it’s all eye contact and a lack of movement, then Lydia grinds up, using Allison’s thigh for friction and Allison presses down.

 

*              *              *

 

“So Lydia, how was your-”

“Stiles!”

The room is bright now, light coming through the window. They’d turned the lamp off at some point, bodies pressed together on the floor. Stiles stands in the doorway, curtain wide open, exactly how it had stayed the night before as Allison and Lydia fumbled their way through the dark.

“Shit!” Stiles’ hand flies up to cover his eyes, and he turns.

Lydia grabs a black bra from beside her head and hurls it at the doorway, just missing Stile’s head and instead colliding with the wall.

Stiles fumbles behind him, grabbing the edge of the curtain and pulling it closed. From the main floor Lydia can hear Scott’s voice say something, to which Stiles replies “Pretty good I think! Make a few extra pancakes, Lydia kept a guest.”

Lydia turns on her elbow, and looks down at Allison who is curled into a ball, back pressing against Lydia’s side. She reaches down, trailing her fingertips along Allison’s bicep. “Hey.”

Allison stirs, exhaling and blinking in the light. “Hey,” she replies, voice gravely. She yawns and rolls onto her back, arching up and stretching into Lydia.

“Sleep ok?”

“Surprisingly well for the floor,” Allison replies, readjusting the quilt to cover her breasts.

Lydia blushes slightly, before realizing she is in a similar state of bareness. “I think there’s breakfast downstairs,” Lydia starts, running her fingers through her hair, “if you’re hungry.”

“Ravished.” Allison sits up, mirroring Lydia’s stance. She flips her hair over her shoulder, then leans forward, placing a light kiss on Lydia’s mouth.

With that, any tension that had been there previously evaporates. Lydia smiles.

“I can lend you some sweatpants or something,” Lydia offers, sitting up.

Allison nods, eyes following Lydia as she moves. “That’d be great.”

“Ok.” Lydia pauses for a moment, then rises, letting the blanket fall away completely and making her way to her closet, pulling out a pair of light green pj pants and a pair of purple sweats. She tosses the sweats to Allison, pulling the green pants on before fishing out a tanktop.

When she turns back around Allison is crouched over some of their discarded clothing items. She grabs something and rises, pulling her yellow shirt over her head. “Ready.”

Lydia smiles and extends her hand. “Let’s go.”

They navigate the stairs with much greater success in the light, the fingers of Lydia’s left hand tangled up in Allison’s. The kitchen is bright when they reach it, snaking between the couch and the TV. Stiles is sitting at the table, a textbook lying open and forgotten on the table in front of him. Scott stands at the stove, flipper in hand, watching the pancakes.

“…and Derek and I are going to-” Stiles stops mid-sentence, turning to grin at the girls. “Good morning.”

Scott grins from the stove, and Allison smiles shyly. “Hungry?”

“Famished,” Lydia replies, sliding into a chair across from Stiles. Allison sits beside her, looking slightly out of her element. Stiles wiggles his eyebrows at Lydia and she shoots him a dirty look.

“It’s nice to have the old Lydia back,” Stiles says, leaning back into his chair.

Scott moves in then, delivering a plate laden with pancakes.

Lydia smiles, getting up to retrieve plates and cutlery. Allison leans forward, striking up conversation with Stiles, as Lydia moves past Scott.

“It was about time,” Scott says quietly, leaning against the counter. “I’m not sure how many more times I could go to that class and have to watch you two flirting aimlessly. She really seems to like you.”

Lydia smiles. “She’s great.”

Scott laughs and pushes her shoulder gently. “Just pull the curtain across next time. Stiles told me he got quite the view this morning.”

Lydia rolls her eyes. “Or maybe we could just go crazy and install an actual door?”

Scott shrugs, smirking. “We’ll put it on the list.”


End file.
